In this episode, Helen and Ana Paula Biazon Rocha discuss Ana’s journey in ELT, emphasizing her passion for pronunciation and teacher development. She started teaching at 17 in Brazil, influenced by her family of educators and legacy. Anna's interest in pronunciation stemmed from personal challenges and feedback from teacher trainers – while seeking to improve, she discovered a passion. She highlights her shift from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach, the importance of human connection in learning, and the need for us teachers to feel that we’re not alone but  part of a teaching community. Ana's career evolved through self-study, workshops, and courses, including a Cambridge Delta and an MA in TESOL. She says that students become teachers who become students… The learning cycle is ongoing! Ana advises novice teachers and those coming to another country to learn, grow, and teach to believe in themselves, study, and embrace continuous learning. Be an open teacher-learner and find your passions!

Ana mentions:
- Cambridge Delta

- MA in Applied Linguistics - University of Sheffield

- MA in TESOL - University of Sheffield

(Ana completed the MA in Applied Linguistics with TESOL in the academic year 2017-2018. After the COVID pandemic, this course was split into two: MA in Applied Linguistics and MA in TESOL, so her original Masters course does not exist anymore at the University of Sheffield. Students choose one or the other now.)

- An article Ana wrote: MA student Ana Paula Biazon Rocha on why she chose Sheffield

(Side note: This goes back when she was interviewed by the University of Sheffield to talk about my life as an MA student in 2018. After she finished her MA course, she started working as an English Language Tutor at the English Language Teaching Centre (ELTC) at the University of Sheffield and has been doing so for nearly seven years. So she was a student who became a staff member at the university.)

- IATEFL PronSIG blog

Listeners can contact Ana by email: a.p.biazon-rocha@sheffield.ac.uk or on social media:

1. LinkedIn: (her full name: Ana Paula Biazon Rocha)

2. Instagram: @anapaulabiazonrocha

3. Facebook: Ana Paula Biazon Rocha

To find the complete archive of Developod episodes, go to tdsig.org/developod-tdsigs-podcast